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    <title>ShellCheck: SC2203 – Globs are ignored in `[[ ]]` except right of `=`/`!=`. Use a loop.</title>
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    <h1>SC2203 – ShellCheck Wiki</h1>
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    <h2 id="globs-are-ignored-in---except-right-of--use-a-loop">Globs are
ignored in <code>[[ ]]</code> except right of
<code>=</code>/<code>!=</code>. Use a loop.</h2>
<h3 id="problematic-code">Problematic code:</h3>
<div class="sourceCode" id="cb1"><pre class="sourceCode sh"><code class="sourceCode bash"><span id="cb1-1"><a href="SC2203.html#cb1-1" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="kw">[[</span> current.log <span class="ot">-nt</span> backup/<span class="pp">*</span>.log <span class="kw">]]</span> <span class="kw">&amp;&amp;</span> <span class="bu">echo</span> <span class="st">&quot;This is the latest file&quot;</span></span></code></pre></div>
<h3 id="correct-code">Correct code:</h3>
<div class="sourceCode" id="cb2"><pre class="sourceCode sh"><code class="sourceCode bash"><span id="cb2-1"><a href="SC2203.html#cb2-1" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="va">newerThanAll</span><span class="op">=</span>true</span>
<span id="cb2-2"><a href="SC2203.html#cb2-2" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="cf">for</span> log <span class="kw">in</span> backup/<span class="pp">*</span>.log</span>
<span id="cb2-3"><a href="SC2203.html#cb2-3" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="cf">do</span></span>
<span id="cb2-4"><a href="SC2203.html#cb2-4" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a>  <span class="kw">[[</span> current.log <span class="ot">-nt</span> <span class="st">&quot;</span><span class="va">$log</span><span class="st">&quot;</span> <span class="kw">]]</span> <span class="kw">||</span> <span class="va">newerThanAll</span><span class="op">=</span>false</span>
<span id="cb2-5"><a href="SC2203.html#cb2-5" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="cf">done</span></span>
<span id="cb2-6"><a href="SC2203.html#cb2-6" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="kw">[[</span> <span class="st">&quot;</span><span class="va">$newerThanAll</span><span class="st">&quot;</span> <span class="ot">=</span> <span class="st">&quot;true&quot;</span> <span class="kw">]]</span> <span class="kw">&amp;&amp;</span> <span class="bu">echo</span> <span class="st">&quot;This is the latest file&quot;</span></span></code></pre></div>
<h3 id="rationale">Rationale:</h3>
<p>Globs in <code>[[ ]]</code> will not filename expand, and will be
treated literally (or as patterns on the right-hand side of
<code>=</code>, <code>==</code> and <code>!=</code>).</p>
<p>The problematic code is equivalent to
<code>[[ current.log -nt 'backup/*.png' ]</code>, and will look for a
file with a literal asterisk in the name.</p>
<p>Instead, you can iterate over the filenames you want with a loop, and
apply your condition to each filename.</p>
<h3 id="exceptions">Exceptions:</h3>
<p>None.</p>
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